Near Three Forks in Gallatin County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Lewis and Clark reach the Headwaters

July 25 & July 27, 1805

By Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2013

1. Lewis and Clark reach the Headwaters Marker

Inscription.

Lewis and Clark reach the Headwaters. July 25 & July 27, 1805. . You are standing at the headwaters of the great Missouri River. The Jefferson and Madison Rivers converge with the Gallatin joining one mile downstream to become the Missouri River. Here, the famed explorers accomplished a major goal of their expedition: to explore the Missouri River to its source. The camped here for several days, exploring the area while the prepared to continue their journey.

You are standing at the headwaters of the great Missouri River.
The Jefferson and Madison Rivers converge with the Gallatin joining one mile downstream to become the Missouri River.
Here, the famed explorers accomplished a major goal of their expedition: to explore the Missouri River to its source.
The camped here for several days, exploring the area while the prepared to continue their journey.

Location. 45° 55.591′ N, 111° 30.25′ W. Marker is near Three Forks, Montana, in Gallatin County. Marker can be reached from Trident Road. Touch for map. Marker is located inside the Missouri Headwaters State Park, overlooking the point where the Madison and Jefferson rivers converge to form the Missouri river. Marker is in this post office area: Three Forks MT 59752, United States of America.

More about this marker. The marker is about one-tenth mile west of a parking lot on Trident Road, along a scenic dirt path. The parking lot is about one-half mile north of the Missouri Headwaters State Park entrance. Access to the state park is from the I-90 exit 278 Frontage Road.

Also see . . . Missouri Headwaters State Park.
Lewis and Clark visited the site on July 28, 1805. Meriwether Lewis in his journal entry wrote: "Both Capt. C. and myself corresponded in opinon with respect to the impropriety of calling either of these streams the Missouri and accordingly agreed to name them after the President of the United States and the Secretaries of the Treasury and State." (Submitted on May 9, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

"The objective of your mission is to explore the Missouri River, & such principal stream of it, as, by it's course & communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean... may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent..."

from Thomas Jefferson's instructions to Meriwether Lewis, July 4, 1803

By Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2013

6. Madison River

The Madison River as it approaches confluence with the Jefferson.

By Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2013

7. Missouri Headwaters (southwest view)

The Madison River (from left) meets the Jefferson River (from right) to become the Missouri.

By Cosmos Mariner, July 11, 2013

8. Missouri Headwaters

The Gallatin River flows into the newly formed Missouri River as it flows northeast from the headwaters.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on May 8, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 506 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 8, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on May 9, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on May 8, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7, 8. submitted on May 9, 2014, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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